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Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

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Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#121

Post by jackbravo »

mengine wrote: post #116
edw519 wrote: post #60

57, programming for 33 years with hardly a day off, and having more fun than ever. My motivation? It's not about the technology, the tools, the apps, the business, the customers, or even the money, although any of those can provide plenty of motivation. And believe it or not, it's not even about the happy dance feeling I get when something I built works for the first time. It's about the achievements of those who use…

This sounds pretty depressing to me. You're building the software that allows others to retire while you're a cog in someone else's wheel for another 33 years. Why not build your own achievements?

Who says you will do this only while you are not retired? If you really enjoy it then you will want to keep doing it even after you retire.

And a programmer today earns enough to be able to do so at a good age.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#122

Post by outside1234 »

40 year old here. The key to a long enjoyable career is making sure you really love 80% of the work you do in your role. You'll never enjoy 100% but if you find yourself only loving 20% of it then you need to examine what that 20% is and figure out how to make it at least 80%.

I made a long (5 year) detour into management because "I was supposed to" and it took me 4.5 years to realize that I hated 80% of my job. That isn't to say management is "bad" but you need to understand what makes you tick and what doesn't and then find a role that matches that. Don't worry about the money - the money will find you if you love your job.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#123

Post by jackbravo »

MattSayar wrote: post #113
raganwald wrote: post #80

If you're young, be sure to read the responses here very carefully. There are lots of people like me who love what they do at fifty or beyond. Yay! But of course, this sample has survivor bias. How many people who left the profession in their forties are going to post on HN? How many people who are fifty and hate their jobs are going to post on HN? I love what I do and try to share that love. But my advice to you is…

So how did you get to fifty without burning out? The advice I've always seen is a mix of: have a healthy work/life balance, exercise, find satisfaction outside of work, enjoy people more than products, and make sure you actually like what you do and where you do it. Anything else?

sounds like you have all the right parts identified. Now its only a matter of doing it =P, best of lucks!

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#124

Post by jerf »

mengine wrote: post #116
edw519 wrote: post #60

57, programming for 33 years with hardly a day off, and having more fun than ever. My motivation? It's not about the technology, the tools, the apps, the business, the customers, or even the money, although any of those can provide plenty of motivation. And believe it or not, it's not even about the happy dance feeling I get when something I built works for the first time. It's about the achievements of those who use…

This sounds pretty depressing to me. You're building the software that allows others to retire while you're a cog in someone else's wheel for another 33 years. Why not build your own achievements?

You're presuming an awful lot in that analysis there.

Besides, who is not a cog in some wheel or other? In civilized countries, there is nobody who is at the top of all hierarchies, no King. It's a pejorative with no bite if it applies to all.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#125

Post by btilly »

Let's draw an important distinction.

There is programming, writing code that helps computers do what people tell them to do.

Then there is the experience of programming that this author seems to have, which involves a lot of long hours, and nights until 2 AM.

It is rare for competent and experienced people to be tolerant of the toxic environment that was assumed for programming. Over time you learn that there are lots of professional programmers with reasonable lifestyles, and you'll want to become one of them.

However programming itself, if it is enjoyable for you, is likely to remain enjoyable for a long, long time. (Mid-40s here. Didn't learn that I liked programming until around 30.)

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#126

Post by JoeAltmaier »

jerf wrote: post #124
mengine wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds pretty depressing to me. You're building the software that allows others to retire while you're a cog in someone else's wheel for another 33 years. Why not build your own achievements?

You're presuming an awful lot in that analysis there. Besides, who is not a cog in some wheel or other? In civilized countries, there is nobody who is at the top of all hierarchies, no King. It's a pejorative with no bite if it applies to all.

Pretty cynical? You can have more or less autonomy in your life, that's very important. You don't have to be King to be your own boss; you don't have to be poor to be a cog.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#127

Post by bm3719 »

mengine wrote: post #116
edw519 wrote: post #60

57, programming for 33 years with hardly a day off, and having more fun than ever. My motivation? It's not about the technology, the tools, the apps, the business, the customers, or even the money, although any of those can provide plenty of motivation. And believe it or not, it's not even about the happy dance feeling I get when something I built works for the first time. It's about the achievements of those who use…

This sounds pretty depressing to me. You're building the software that allows others to retire while you're a cog in someone else's wheel for another 33 years. Why not build your own achievements?

Some people just don't have anything they want to achieve. Others may have that, but due to mortgages, child college funds, or other reasons, just have to make due with having their value extracted from them in an employee role. The most depressing of sights is those that have successfully convinced themselves this is a good parking spot to occupy the rest of their lives.

I'm pretty glad I realized what this article is talking about early on and started planning long term for my own exit, as I knew my tolerance for this was a finite resource that would be continually depleted.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#128

Post by mark_l_watson »

I am 61, started programming in high school in the mid-1960s, still really enjoy it.

But, that is the issue: enjoyment. The author of the article is not enjoying himself (apparently) so time to try something else.

I enjoy the tech and helping people. My only frustration with my work comes when occasionally projects, for whatever reason, don't work out well.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#129

Post by wumpushunter »

Tichy wrote: post #101
edw519 wrote: post #60

57, programming for 33 years with hardly a day off, and having more fun than ever. My motivation? It's not about the technology, the tools, the apps, the business, the customers, or even the money, although any of those can provide plenty of motivation. And believe it or not, it's not even about the happy dance feeling I get when something I built works for the first time. It's about the achievements of those who use…

What kind of dev practices do you use? Would be interesting if certain habits keep coding enjoyable.

Check out chapter 4 of his book, "Work Habits".

Available at http://edweissman.com/53640595 and as a PDF (top of the linked page).

To summarize: Use simple tools and eliminate distractions. At the end of the day, code and refactor away from the computer (on printouts). This forms the basis of the next day's work at the computer.

Re: Do You Really Want to be Doing this When You're 50?

#130

Post by [deleted] »

outside1234 wrote: post #119
mengine wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds pretty depressing to me. You're building the software that allows others to retire while you're a cog in someone else's wheel for another 33 years. Why not build your own achievements?

Being a cog in the machine allows you to focus on the code (in a good company) in a way that being in a startup doesn't. I can totally understand and respect that.

[deleted]
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